Cool BYO article

[unionrdr]

I just saw this posted on my Facebook page. A very good question to ask one's self...http://byo.com/stories/issue/item/3354-does-homebrew-matter-last-call

 

[Devon]

As long as you and I and anyone else who loves this hobby are enjoying it - it matters.

 

[jwalk4]

Yeah, I dig it. Cool article.

I like the idea of competitions, but if I never win a medal, I'd never be upset about it. I brew for my passion for beer and to appreciate beer's ingredients.

I think the title of "Brewer of the Year," seems kind of silly.
In real terms, what does that even mean?

 

[unionrdr]

Kinda sounded like the one who drinks the most craft beer & remembers them all? Or vlogs about it?

 

[ImNoExpert]

Does anything really matter as we whirl around in circles on this little speck of dust?

 

[losMythos]

It matters to the commercial brewer because the more Home Brew I make the less "commercial" beer I buy.

 

[NickTheGreat]

does anything really matter as we whirl around in circles on this little speck of dust?

this.

 

[brewcat]

I think the commercial brewer probably said "it doesn't matter" in relation to the competition. I'd think think they meant it doesn't matter if the homebrewer enjoys what they make.

 

[unionrdr]

I don't blame the author for being a bit disturbed by the remark. Sorta sounds like that guy's in the wrong business? After all, those craft brewers were one of us at one time. So what we do matters in certain respects.

 

[BLuck]

If I reflect, and am honest, then in the grand scheme, my homebrewing doesn’t matter. But it does matter in my small world. It is a hobby that I enjoy and can share with others. It is an exploration and appreciation of science and art. And it has led to me exploring other topics I may not have involved myself in, such as looking at sustainable agriculture or home gardening. This is similar to other hobbies I have, like fishing leads to conservationism and environmental topics. So while it is just a hobby, it has major impacts to my life and maybe over time, leads to me being part of something that affects the world.

 

[Malty_Dog]

Great article. Nice to see a little passion from a BYO writer on the subject. This line really gets to the heart of it for a lot of brewers I believe: "Homebrew matters because it activates us as creators". I like to use my hands and "make" stuff. And who can complain about getting beer in the end?

 

[tim_c7]

If a beer spilled in the woods and no one was around to drink it, was it drunk?

 

[AnOldUR]

Sorta sounds like that guy's in the wrong business?

In the quest to make a great beer, the mattering should be equal to both homebrewers and commercial brewers. We're both after a quality product to drink and share with others. The only difference should be making money or not. If making money is all that matters to him, I agree. He's in the wrong business.

 

[gometz]

I think he is looking at it completely differently than the comment was intended. Obviously it matters to us, it is our hobby and we enjoy it. But does it matter to anyone else? Would a bad batch matter to anyone but our pride? No. Same goes for people who enjoy smoking ribs, making lavish meals, etc. Hobbies are things the person enjoys, but don't matter to anyone else.

The comment was made by a professional brewer. To them, a bad batch means money and potential production loss. Or worse, if you make a batch that could be better you may lose market share. The brewer is looking at it from a business standpoint. Hobbies don't have business implications, therefore a bad batch or a great batch does nothing except help or hurt our pride.

 

[bmbigda]

idk about this article...

does anything I obsess over at a professional level, but have no aspirations of turning into a business, matter? Not to anyone but me. It's not like I'm hoping to turn my lawncare obsession into a business. I do it because I like looking at my lawn.

 

[Homercidal]

Define "matters" first.

I can say that my homebrew matters more to me than probably anyone else. I'm sure most of us here can say the same thing.

But I can also state with confidence that my homebrew matters much less than most other things in my life.

ok, maybe about more than about half of them...

 

[unionrdr]

Well, in the end, what I was getting at is; Sure, it matters to the brewer, whether pro or home brewer. But to tell the guy it doesn't matter either way...was less than tactful. And with some competitions having a grand prize of commercially brewing your beer, then it does indeed matter. To both sides in point of fact. There's a right & wrong way to say something, as we've seen on here.

 

[beersk]

Does anything really matter as we whirl around in circles on this little speck of dust?

Not when you're an existential nihilist like myself... sad truth.

But we find meaning in life, it doesn't mean it matters to the grand scheme of the universe.
As far as homebrewing, it matters to us who make it. It matters to the changing culture of craft beer. Many of the best breweries in the world started out as homebrewers. I'd have to think that counts for something right? IT MATTERS.
Sure, one batch might not matter if it doesn't turn out quite right. But it matters in the grand scheme of beer and brewing.

I think he's getting at the fact that us homebrewers don't have to worry about a customer buying our beer. It only matters for commercial brewers that it tastes good and people will buy it. Otherwise, it's no different than us brewing our own beer.

 

[NoIguanaForZ]

Does anything really matter as we whirl around in circles on this little speck of dust?

Define your terms.

 

[unionrdr]

I think what he's getting at is like the words to the song, " dust in the wind". Kinda says it all in a metaphorical way.

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

Does anything really matter as we whirl around in circles on this little speck of dust?

Nope.

 

[unionrdr]

Same old song...just a drop of water, in an endless see. All, we, do, crumbles to the ground, tho we refuse to see...

 

[orangehero]

I think he, as a professional brewer giving feedback to a homebrewer, meant it doesn't matter much if you screw up a 5 gallon batch in your garage, in the sense that your livelihood and those of your employees is not at risk. Not some freshman philosophy mental masturbation.